Paradox
by Azurela
Summary: Xemnas had said that nobodies didn’t have hearts didn’t have emotions. Roxas is a nobody, So why does he feel? And why does it intensify when he interacts with a certain red-head who loves to play with fire? It’s almost like.. a paradox. Aukuroku.
1. Chapter 1

Rating: **T**

Summary: Roxas is discovered wandering the dark realm by the leader of Org. XIII. -Xemnas had said that nobodies didn't have hearts… didn't have emotions- Roxas is a nobody… So why does he feel? And why does it intensify when he interacts with a certain red-head who loves to play with fire? It's almost like a contradiction… a paradox. Akuroku.

A/N: I honestly don't know where this came from. One random piece of dialogue popped into my head, and a story blossomed around it.

**Paradox**

--

It'd been three weeks since Roxas, now Organization XIII's newest nobody, had been saved by its leader, Xemnas. He had been found combating black shadow-like monsters in the dark realm. The silver haired man had been more than happy when he saw that Roxas was using two… keyblades… as he'd called them, to fight and stepped in just in time to help the blonde before he was overwhelmed…

--

"_Who are you?" the blonde boy asked apprehensively when a silver-haired man took out all of the black bug-like shadowy monsters that were about to overtake him at once with ease._

"_My name is Xemnas," the silver-haired man said. He looked young but old at the same time and was wearing a long black hooded coat._

"_What do you want? Why did you help me?" The boy asked, not lowering his guard for one second._

"_I saw you aimlessly wandering the dark realm," Xemnas stated, looking around the vast amount of nothing, "and decided that it'd be a great shame if anything were to happen to you," he said, eying Roxas' weapons. "It'd be such a waste, what with your talent in particular, keyblade bearer. Also because you are one of us," he said._

"_One of us? Keyblade bearer?" the boy questioned, confusion coming across his face. _

"_Yes, us. A nobody," he said, capturing the blonde's attention. "Out of pure benevolence, I would like to invite you to join my organization. Our goal is to obtain hearts to become… complete."_

"_What is a nobody?" the boy questioned, "What… who… am I?" he asked, staring at his weapon as if it were suddenly foreign to him and lowering his shields a little…_

_Xemnas smiled, "I will tell you, as well as get you out of here and help you control your powers, if you but only join us."_

_The blonde thought for a moment then nodded in agreement, keyblades vanishing._

_Xemnas smirked before turning around, and opening some sort of portal, motioning for the boy to follow. "I think I shall call you…. Roxas, the key of destiny," he said, secretly reveling in the fact that he'd found the keyblade bearer's nobody. He'd been searching long and hard for him._

--

"Vexen, get the hell away from me, or I swear by the moon and the stars in the sky, I'll summon a keyblade and shove it so far up your arse you won't be able to walk straight for a month," the angry blonde, Roxas, snapped. He was backed against a wall, and the other man was looking at him lasciviously.

The older nobody had had a gleam in his eye that Roxas hadn't liked one bit ever since the first day they met when Xemnas had introduced him to the Organization. Well, part of the Organization. It seemed that numbers eight, nine, eleven, twelve, and six had exempted themselves from the meeting for some reason or another. The Superior, as Xemnas was called, hadn't seemed happy about it at all, which confused Roxas. What confused him even more, and he found extremely odd, was that he was feeling angry right now, or even the fact that Vexen was looking at him lustfully. In his explanation, Xemnas had said that nobodies didn't have hearts… didn't have emotions. He was finding it hard to believe at the moment.

Vexen took a step toward Roxas, looking smug as the blonde glared at him murderously.

"You wouldn't dare, my number's much lower than yours, meaning I'm far more important," he said, reaching out to touch the spiky haired blonde, "I'm one of the organization's founders as a matter of fact." He froze when a black keyblade appeared in Roxas' right hand.

"Why don't you take another step closer," Roxas said dangerously, "I'd love to prove you wrong."

Vexen motioned to take another step toward the blonde who was just about to attack him but got stopped when what looked like a flying ball of fire hit him with great force and he was flung away. Roxas whipped his head in the direction that it'd come from, wondering who had helped him, but only saw a tall, lanky, hooded person. Another member of the organization, the blonde thought, not really surprised before returning his attention to a stunned Vexen. He'd just finished walking up to him and had raised his keyblade to attack him when a hand grasped his arm tightly, dragging him with him into a portal leading into darkness.

"Let go!" Roxas yelled, struggling against Vexen's attacker as the portal, with Vexen on the other side, began to close. "I wanna teach that prick a lesson he'll never forget!"

Roxas winced as the grip on his arm tightened and glared up at his abductor as the portal fully closed. He could've sworn that he saw a smile tugging at his lips. "Let go dammit!" Roxas yelled in the dark realm, growing impatient when his demands weren't met. "Let go or I'll attack you!" he yelled even louder as another portal opened and he was forced out into a cemetery, only lit by the light of a full moon. Roxas cursed the other nobody loudly as he was forced back against a tombstone, keyblade knocked out of his hand.

He knew that he could try to escape but didn't know where he was, and didn't know if he could summon a pathway through the darkness that would get him back to Castle Oblivion. He still wasn't in full control of his powers.

"Who are you, where are we, and why the hell did you bring me here?" Roxas hissed.

"Calm down, thirteen," A smooth voice came lowly in Roxas' ear, "I just didn't want you to get in trouble, so I prevented you from attacking Vexen," he said.

"Why couldn't you have told me that in the castle!? Why did you bring be out here?!" Roxas nearly yelled. The keyblade on the ground vanished and one appeared in each of Roxas' hands as he began to struggle and try to attack whoever was holding him in place.

"Be quiet," the other said harshly, "I don't want to attract attention."

"You should've thought of a more secluded place then, idiot!" Roxas yelled, immediately screaming for help. The taller nobody knew that he wouldn't be able to hold the struggling shorter boy if he covered his mouth with one hand, so he opted to do something else, since the blonde wouldn't listen. He pulled Roxas closer to himself then slammed him back against the tombstone with so much force that Roxas cried out, becoming dazed. He didn't wait for the blonde to recover, and much to Roxas' surprise, locked their lips together. Roxas struggled even more violently but to no avail, still trying to yell. His captor must've still thought he was still making enough noise to draw attention so he slipped his tongue inside Roxas' mouth. It didn't register to Roxas that that's what had happened until that skilled tongue began to thrust slowly at first, then faster and faster into his mouth, delving in and clashing against Roxas' tongue often. Roxas tried to squirm away, not liking the heat that was building up in his body, but couldn't move at all. The other man's position was too perfect.

He didn't relent until Roxas moaned lightly and his body went lax. The keyblades fell to the ground with a soft thud.

When the taller nobody pulled away, Roxas tried to glare up at him but found that he needed to catch his breath first. "What the hell was that for?" Roxas hissed, trying to look pissed but for some reason, couldn't entirely.

"I had to get you to shut up somehow, didn't want to attract the nightmares," he said in that smooth voice.

"Nightmares?" Roxas asked, "And you didn't have to use your tongue," he snapped, glaring at the smirk he got as a response just before his hands were forced above his head and his face was turned toward the town where werewolves and ghouls were walking the streets freely.

"Yeah, nightmares," the other said, "This is Halloween Town."

"Stop touching me!" the blonde yelled, jerking his head back so he could look at the other nobody who was smirking even more widely.

"Oh, but you know you like it," he said leaning toward the blonde again.

"That's ludicrous!" Roxas whispered fiercely, not wanting to get kissed again to be silenced. He didn't like how he'd reacted to that last kiss. "We are nobodies. We don't have hearts, don't have emotions-"

"Then why are your cheeks still crimson," the other asked, rubbing his thumb along the corner of Roxas' mouth and across his lips, "Why did you _moan into my mouth?" _His smirk quickly turned into a frown when Roxas opened his mouth more and chomped down on his thumb so hard that he drew blood. He tried to pull away, but Roxas' jaw was clamped shut.

Roxas' glare intensified when the other man laughed. "So, the little kitty cat likes to bite does he?" he asked, not waiting for any sort of response. "Well, so do I," he said, voice hardened. Roxas was sure he was angry. The blonde yelped when he felt the sensation of his wrists being burned and the hand was quickly removed from his face. "That's better," he said, continuing to burn the blonde until Roxas kicked his leg, unbalancing him, making both of them fall. Roxas managed to pull his arms away and summon the keyblades to his hands, crossing them at the other's throat and sinking them into the ground so he was trapped.

Roxas stared at the other nobody as he was pinned to the ground. His hood had fallen away, revealing shocking red spiky hair, gorgeous green eyes, and pale skin that under the moonlight glowed. He was… _beautiful._ The red-head laughed at Roxas' expression.

"Wh-who are you?" Roxas asked, not realizing he'd bent closer to the red-head.

"I'm number eight of Organization XIII," he said smirking at Roxas before shoving him off and to the side just before a flurry of dancing flames surrounded him and he freed himself, sending the keyblades flying into the air before they vanished into a wisp of shadow. The red-head stood up, dusting off his black coat lightly.

"That doesn't tell me much," Roxas said, summoning his keyblades to protect himself once again.

"Don't you think it's rather rude to demand who I am without telling me who you are first?" the red-head asked, smirking.

"Why would I tell you my name?" The blonde snapped, ocean blue eyes blazing, "Don't _you_ find it impolite to kidnap people?" Roxas asked mockingly.

"We're not people, we're nothing, as you put it," the red-head said gingerly.

"I'm not telling you my name," Roxas stated, taking a fighting stance. His stubbornness was winning out against common sense.

"That's too bad," the red-head said, "because I'm not taking you back until you do."

The blonde half glared, half pouted at the red-head, who had a knowing look on his face. He knew that Roxas couldn't get back by himself.

"Fine," Roxas said after a moment, clutching his keyblades defensively. "Its Roxas, now tell me yours."

The red-head smirked, repeating the blonde's name before telling him his. "Name's Axel," he said, "A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?" he asked, tapping his head.

"Axel, huh?" Roxas said, not moving an inch, "Planning on telling me why you drug me out here?"

"I wanted to meet you," Axel said, "as well as keep you from hurting Vexen so you wouldn't get punished later, even though he deserves it."

"But why drag me all the way out here?" Roxas asked.

"It was a whim," Axel admitted, "I've always liked Halloween Town, I thought you might too." He paused for a moment, looking as if he were thinking. "What do you say?" he asked, "Can we put this skirmish behind us and start over?"

Roxas gave him an odd look, before standing upright and looking around. "I guess," he said, shrugging. He jumped slightly, realizing how close Axel had gotten as he surveyed this world. He scoffed at the red-head. "Just because I said that, don't get the wrong idea and think that I like you."

Axel smirked and got even closer to him, leaning toward the blonde, making him flush slightly as his breath ghosted over Roxas' lips. _"Liar,"_ Axel whispered, tracing up the line of the blonde's neck with his lanky fingers. His smirk widened when Roxas' flush deepened a little. He could tell even in the pale moonlight.

"Am not," Roxas said still scoffing slightly. The keyblades had vanished.

"Then why are you letting me touch you?" Axel asked, gripping Roxas' neck. _"If you want, we could pick up where we left off,"_ he whispered in the blonde's ear. Roxas immediately punched him in the stomach.

"Take me home, _now_." He said, sounding angry.

Axel smirked at the blonde, completely uneffected by the punch. Pulling him close as a portal appeared, he said _"If you change your mind, feel free to find me,"_ smoothly, nipping one of Roxas' ears.

"Yeah right," Roxas snapped, but not as harshly as before. He was more than a little confused that the red-head was coercing emotion from him. That shouldn't be possible, according to Xemnas.

Axel's smirked as Roxas brushed past him. He definitely liked the new addition to the Organization. He certainly piqued his interest and was cute to boot. Yes, quite the spirit as well, he thought, smiling to himself before following the blonde. But that would just make things more interesting.

He was glad he'd met Roxas tonight; he'd have fun making him his own.

--

TBC

A/N: If anybody doesn't know and hasn't taken advantage of google, lasciviously means: showing desire for or unseemly interest in, sex.

And yes; I know Vexen isn't supposed to be around when Roxas joins the Organization, but in my story, none of the organization is killed off.

If you liked it and want me to continue or want to tell me how I did, you could always send me a lovely review to let me know…


	2. Chapter 2

Rating: **T**

A/N: Wow this hasn't been updated such a long time. –wipes off dust- I really hope I didn't lose any readers by working on Reckoning instead.

**Paradox:** Chapter 2

--

Much to Roxas' relief, Axel didn't follow him after letting him go, instead going off on his own, pointedly in the direction opposite Roxas'. All that lingered now were thoughts of him, marks where he'd burned Roxas' wrists, and, though Roxas didn't want to admit it, the feeling of those warm, soft lips that had crashed down against his own. He frowned deeply at the reminder of the red-head and stalked off to find his room, shoving Vexen, Axel, Halloween Town, and the Organization in general to the back of his mind. He didn't really want to get lost because he'd been distracted. Castle Oblivion was rather large and intimidating to him still.

Roxas was relieved when he found his room right away without any further run-ins with other Organization members. Still, the blonde didn't feel entirely safe after getting drug off like that to some other world and kept a keyblade in his right hand until he was in his own room. If Axel'd done that, it meant that any other nobody was capable of the same.

Roxas felt safer once he was in his room and had shut the door and locked it. It was more or less a false sense of safety though; he hadn't realized just yet that Nobodies could make a pathway through the darkness directly to it and that Xigbar could control time and space. It was probably better that he hadn't, considering the fact that he only really felt safe in his own room.

The newest organization member lay down on his bed after finally disarming himself and unzipping his jacket, taking it off and letting it fall to the floor. He lay there for a long moment, willing himself to sleep, but no matter how hard he tried, couldn't. Although he'd been able to push everything out of his mind while looking for his room, he wasn't nearly as successful now.

The blonde sighed, looking at his wrists, unsure of what else to do thanks to his newly acquired insomnia. Sure, he could roam Castle Oblivion and try to familiarize himself with it more, but he still didn't feel quite safe since Vexen was probably still lurking around. That and, he didn't really want to run into Axel again. Not now, nor for quite a while.

Roxas glared at his wrists, suddenly angry that those marks were there, constantly reminding him of a red-head he'd much rather forget. He wouldn't be very happy if they were permanent.

Luckily for him, they only remained for a little more than two weeks. After that he, as if on cue, and despite the fact that he didn't want to, saw Axel once again.

--

Roxas tried his hardest, as he had been for hours, face contorted from pure concentration, to make a pathway to the dark realm appear. He wasn't having much success.

This had been the scene for the past few weeks: Roxas would try with all his might to get his powers under control, then would watch, envious, as the other organization members would use them with ease.

And what was the reason for his continued lack of control? The Superior had promised to help him get his powers under control, right? So he shouldn't be having problems, right? Well, Xemnas hadn't been doing a very good job. Roxas hadn't even seen him more than twice since joining the organization. It was a fact that made the blonde more than a little bitter. Why wasn't Xemnas holding up his end of their deal?

Roxas cursed slightly under his breath as a pathway started to appear then he lost it. Trying to calm down, the blonde decided to try once more. If he didn't get it, then he'd either take a break or quit for the day. His patience had already run out.

Roxas took a deep breath, closing his eyes and trying to block everything else out. He was succeeding and was just about to try again when arms wrapped around his waist. Roxas yelped, surprised, and opened his eyes wide as his back collided with the owner's chest. The blonde thrashed, trying to escape but getting nowhere. The others' grip was too strong. Roxas was just about to summon his keyblades to attack the hooded figure holding him, rather tightly, when the other spoke.

"Hello kitten," a calm, cool voice whispered in Roxas' ear. Roxas felt his face flush at the nickname, partially from anger, partially from embarrassment because of how preposterous it was.

"Number eight," Roxas hissed, recognizing the voice, and, seething, summoned Oblivion and The Oathkeeper.

"What's wrong, kitten, you seem upset," Axel asked in Roxas' ear, lowly.

"Why the hell are you calling me that?" Roxas snapped, refusing to look at the taller nobody. He'd rather be angry than confused. It was much easier. Axel didn't say a word just raised his hand so Roxas could see it. There was a faint mark still there from when Roxas had bitten him.

"Because, thirteen, you're a feisty little kitten that likes to bite, remember?" he asked against Roxas' ear. Roxas felt his flush deepen as the entire graveyard scene replayed in his head, forcing him to remember the struggle, the kiss, the things he'd felt even though he wasn't supposed to feel. The blonde faltered for a moment and the red-head took the opportunity to slip his hand back around his waist. Roxas immediately snapped out of it and started to fight again.

"Let go of me!" Roxas yelled. His movements seemed a little… desperate. "Why the hell do you keep touching me? Damn pyro, stay the hell away from me, or I'll attack you," Roxas snapped, still seething.

"Aww, Rox-as," Axel said, still in control, "That's not very nice, especially since I'm here to help you."

"What?" Roxas asked caught off guard.

"The Superior sent me to help you," Axel said happily. "It's official, which means that you're not allowed to attack me."

"Why didn't you just tell me that you were here to help rather than sneak up on me?" Roxas asked, trying very hard not to lash out at the red-head.

"I didn't think you'd listen to me," Axel said. Roxas blinked, processing what Axel had said, realizing that the red-head was absolutely right, he wouldn't have.

"Why did Xemnas send you to help me rather than come himself?" The blonde asked.

"Xemnas tends to be rather busy," Axel explained, "So rather than sit back and enjoy watching you struggle like everyone else seems to be doing I asked him if I could help you."

"W-what?" Roxas asked, wanting to ask why the older nobody would possibly be interested in helping him as he finally looked back at him. Axel was wearing his hood still, but Roxas could see his face by looking up because of their height difference. When he did look at Axel, Roxas still couldn't help but think that he really was… beautiful. He'd look better though without the hood.

"I'm here to help you," the red-head repeated. Roxas stared at him. The way his lips moved and those green emeralds of his… were mesmerizing. The blonde nearly got lost for a moment, but caught himself.

"So, help me then instead of standing there like an idiot," Roxas said, looking forward again and trying to stay in control over what was happening to him; over what he was feeling.

"I don't know," Axel said, "You're not being very nice."

"Excuse me?" Roxas asked.

"I don't think I want to help you if you're gonna call me names, have an attitude, and or attack me," the red-head said. Roxas gripped his keyblades so tightly that his knuckles turned white, before he relaxed then let them vanish.

"Will you _please_," Roxas said with some difficulty, "help me?"

"What'll you do for me if I do?" Axel asked, in Roxas' ear.

"What the hell?!" Roxas snapped, "You have orders to help me-"

"Only if I want to," Axel said, smirking, "it's optional for me."

"Forget you, I don't need you," Roxas started, but got cut off when Axel laughed.

"Have fun learning everything by yourself for years then, thirteen," Axel said, slipping away. Roxas waited a moment, letting it sink in. When it did and he'd thought about it thoroughly, he really hated the fact that Axel was absolutely right. It probably _would_ take years by himself if he was having so much trouble now and nobody else in the organization seemed to be interested in helping him.

"W-wait," Roxas called after the taller nobody. Axel took a few more steps then stopped, lowering his hood before looking back at the blonde. Roxas stared at that face, completely captivated. Though he could tell that Axel was really pretty in the grave yard that night, he'd had no idea that he was as amazingly beautiful and unique as he was with that shocking, fiery, red hair and marvelous emeralds that glistened brilliantly. "What do you want?" Roxas asked, managing to look away when the other nobody smirked at him for staring.

Great, Roxas thought, out of all of the nobodies in the entire organization that could be helping him, he got stuck with the perverted pyro that seemed to swing that way. Well, at least he was better than Vexen, but still…

Roxas' eyes widened as Axel approached him, and he silently cursed himself for not specifying what he would and would not do and flinched as a hand gripped his chin then raised it making him look at him. Roxas tried his hardest not to scoff or hit Axel's hand away as the red-head smirked at him again.

"Two things," he said, surprising Roxas by letting go. "One," he said, raising a finger, "No attacking me or threatening to attack me unless we're developing your fighting skills." The blonde half glared at Axel, making the red-head's smirk widen because of how adorable he found it. "Two," Axel said, raising another finger, "the pleasure of your company."

"What do you mean by the second one?" Roxas asked, looking at Axel warily.

"I want you to stay by my side until your training is complete," Axel said.

"Why do you want me to be with you constantly?" Roxas asked confusedly. He'd expected Axel to want something else because of how he'd behaved during their first encounter.

"Those are my terms and my only offer. Take or leave it," Axel said, almost daring Roxas to decline.

"Fine," Roxas said, frowning and crossing his arms.

"Good," Axel said. "Now that that's settled, want to know how to summon a pathway through the darkness?" Roxas looked at Axel, this time on his own.

"Yes," Roxas said, a little surprised when Axel summoned one.

"Well, come on then," Axel said, heading toward it and motioning for Roxas to follow, which he did, hesitantly.

--

Roxas had expected Axel to take him to Halloween Town again, but was surprised when he felt a breeze instead, across his face and was looking out over a darkened city. He could see all of it because they were standing on the biggest clock tower that the blonde had ever seen.

"Where are we?" Roxas asked.

"London," Axel replied. "This," he said, gesturing to the clock behind them, "Is 'Big Ben'." Roxas stared up at the huge clock, starting slightly when it struck midnight and signaled the hour. "We're not leaving here, no matter what happens, until you summon a pathway through the darkness to get us back," Axel stated. He continued when Roxas gaped at him. "You weren't completely wrong before when you were trying to summon a pathway," Axel said. "You took a deep breath, blocked everything else out, right?" Roxas nodded. "Did you have in mind where you wanted to go?" Axel asked. Roxas froze. Was he really only screwing up because of something so obvious?

"No," Roxas said, sullenly.

"That's probably partially why you were unsuccessful then," Axel said.

"Partially?" Roxas asked. "What's the other part?"

"You were trying to force yourself to only because you were angry with yourself for not getting it, right?" Axel asked. He seemed to have a knack for guessing right. Roxas sighed then nodded.

"It's probably a waste of time to try now then, because I don't feel any differently," the blonde said.

"Oh?" Axel asked, formulating a plan as Roxas nodded.

"Why don't we just go back to the castle and try later?" he asked.

"Because, I'm not going back on what I said," Axel said, glancing over the tower ledge, suddenly getting his idea. "Okay, kitten," he said, hopping up on the ledge, making Roxas stare, despite wanting to hurt the red-head for calling him that, as he walked along the edge gracefully, "I think I know now to get you to summon a pathway."

"Really?" Roxas asked.

"Yeah," Axel said, "but you've got to come up here and walk with me."

"Will it help me concentrate or something?" Roxas asked, confused, not really seeing how it would help.

"Sure," Axel said. Roxas, wanting to get back to Castle Oblivion as soon as possible, did as he was told.

"This isn't helping," Roxas complained behind Axel.

"Do something for me?" Axel asked.

"What?" Roxas asked.

"Concentrate on your room. Particularly your bed," Axel said.

"Why?" Roxas asked unsure of where this was going.

"Just tell me when you have," Axel said. Roxas gave Axel a funny look, even though he couldn't see it then focused on his room.

"Okay, got it," Roxas said, surprised when Axel stopped and turned around. "What are you doing?" Roxas asked when Axel gripped his wrists. He would've fought back, but he didn't want to fall. He suddenly felt stupid for trusting Axel, for being so blind.

"Motivating you," Axel said, pulling him closer.

Roxas didn't even have time to ask what Axel meant before the red-head pushed away from the ledge, jumping and taking Roxas with him.

--

TBC

A/N: I apologize once again for taking so long, really.

If I still have any readers, review to let me know how I did and or if you'd like to know what comes next soon? Thanks so much!


	3. Chapter 3

Rating:** T**

**Paradox** Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews!

--

Roxas felt stupid before? Imagine how he felt now that he'd been thrown off of Big Ben and was plummeting toward the ground with increasing speed. With the plummeting, the blonde inadvertently gripped the red-head more tightly, trying to scream but, to his complete horror, no sound would come out. His voice seemed to have failed him.

Motivation? What the hell? If he couldn't do it, then he couldn't. What was Axel thinking? Better yet was he thinking at all? Roxas mentally cursed himself. Why had he been stupid enough to accept the red-head's help? Why had he allowed himself to become dependent on someone else like that?

The answer made him curse at himself even more. It was all because he was so powerless, so weak. The blonde really hated the fact that he couldn't take care of himself fully just yet.

"You'd better hurry and summon a pathway," Axel said in Roxas' ear, interrupting his internal conflict, "I'm not going to do it for you."

Roxas trembled at the words, really hating that he was in this position right now. He blamed himself more than the pyro, really. He should've never gotten on that ledge; should've never been so trusting.

"H-help me, please," Roxas whispered back after a few attempts. They'd been falling for what seemed like forever and Roxas felt a bit of... Was that fear? No, that couldn't be right, could it? Nobodies like he and Axel weren't supposed to feel, after all, he reminded himself for what felt like the hundredth time. Axel gripped him more tightly as a response, pulling him out of his thoughts once again.

"Concentrate," the red-head said back, "and remember what I told you as well as what you tried before."

Roxas held his breath then closed his eyes hesitantly before placing a hand in front of Axel and himself shakily. He relaxed slightly when Axel slid a hand from his upper back to his arm to steady it then thought of his room. Concentrating as Axel had instructed, he focused his already miniscule control over the darkness into his outstretched hand. Then, after a moment, he directed it at the ground with all of his might, feeling a surge of energy as he did.

He kept it up and soon, Axel called out Roxas' name excitedly, telling him to look. Roxas opened his eyes just in time to see the pathway he'd summoned before they fell through it.

--

The two nobodies ended up falling through Roxas' ceiling and then onto the blonde's bed. They hit it with bruising force then ended up flying off, heading for the floor. Axel, not wanting Roxas to get hurt and knowing full well that he would if he didn't do something, shifted so that he hit the floor while the smaller, shorter, nobody landed on top of him. Roxas completely missed the gesture and, unwisely let his temper begin to flare, making him ready to snap. He wasn't very happy with Axel at the moment.

The blonde groaned, halfway sitting up. Axel grimaced a little from the action but Roxas didn't have any sympathy for him after he'd pulled that stunt in London.

"What the hell was with that?" Roxas hissed, not bothering to hide the fact that he was pissed and not waiting for Axel to reply. "You're a friggin maniac! Crazy as hell!" Roxas yelled, glaring at Axel. "Seriously, what the hell possessed you to do something so insane?!"

Axel hid the fact that he was in pain and smirked up at the blonde. "You needed some motivation," he replied, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Don't you think that you could've thought of something else? Something that was less dangerous?" Roxas snapped.

"I could've, but this worked, didn't it?" Axel asked, smirk widening.

Roxas remained silent for a long moment. Once again, Axel was absolutely right and he didn't like it one bit. "What if I'd failed? And you being stubborn as you were being didn't conjure up a pathway to save us?" Roxas asked, wondering if Axel would've let him get hurt badly just so he wouldn't go back on his word, still not realizing that the red-head had landed on the floor, Roxas on top of him, and not the other way around.

Axel tsked at Roxas, sitting up more. "You doubted me? That's not very nice, thirteen," he said, feigning pain because of the doubt. He gave Roxas a mischievous grin when the blonde scoffed at him. "Don't worry, kitten, I would've saved you," he said. Roxas glared at the red-head murderously for calling him that and even felt himself twitch; something that he never did.

He really hated that stupid nickname.

"And how exactly would you have saved me?" Roxas asked, refraining from snapping at the red-head again, just in case it would make him decide to take back his offer to help him. As much as he hated it, he needed Axel. "Were you planning on going back on what you said?" Roxas asked.

"Mm, no," Axel said, holding out his palm. Roxas' eyes widened a little when flames suddenly appeared and the red-head started to manipulate them. "I would've used my power over fire," Axel explained, "I've figured out a lot of ways to use it. Oh and, don't worry, I wouldn't have burned you…" he added, smirking again, "this time."

Roxas only halfway heard what Axel said as he continued to play with the flames, and fascinated, forgetting that he was angry, reached out, wanting to touch them but Axel immediately pulled back. "Curiosity killed the cat, Roxas," Axel said warningly. Still the blonde persisted.

Axel smirked at Roxas' continued attempts to touch the fire, but didn't want the blonde to burn himself so he let the flames die down until they were nothing but a plume of smoke. Roxas, still being curious though, continued to move his fingers toward Axel's hand until he'd run his fingers along his bare palm. He immediately recoiled because of how deathly cold it was. He certainly hadn't expected that.

Axel laughed lightly. "Satisfied?" the red-head asked. Roxas frowned deeply as a response. Why had he been so intrigued by Axel's fire?

"I still think that you could've thought of a better way to get me to summon a pathway," The blonde said wanting to get the fire off of his mind. Axel laughed fully at that, making Roxas scoff. "What's so funny?"

"You," Axel said, smirking.

"What about me?" Roxas snapped, not seeing what was so amusing.

Axel frowned at that, not liking how Roxas' attitude was reemerging for the second time in such a short amount of time. "Hey, if you don't like how I teach you things, I could always check and see if Vexen's interested in helping you. Though, he probably has other things that he'd like to do with you than teach you," he said, a hint of anger in his voice.

"I'm… sorry," Roxas said looking away. He really didn't want to be anywhere near Vexen until he'd mastered his powers and could escape if he needed to. Up till now, it hadn't even crossed his mind that he might not be able to fight off number four. That and, he wasn't liking the fact that they'd made a pathway directly into his room. It disturbed the blonde and he didn't feel safe anymore. Could anyone come into his room at any given time? He didn't like the thought of that; not in the slightest.

Axel softened a little upon seeing Roxas' bothered expression. "What's wrong?" the older nobody asked, moving to sit up more but didn't get very far because Roxas was still on top of him.

"Nothing," Roxas said, sighing audibly.

"No, it's something. Want to tell me?" Axel asked.

"No." Roxas said, halfway glaring.

"Alright," Axel said, and much to Roxas' surprise, let it go. The red-head didn't speak again for a few moments.

"Hey, Rox-as," Axel said, making the blonde look at him.

"What?" The blonde asked, eying the other nobody warily because of how his name was said.

"Not that I mind that you are," Axel said, smirking, "But could you get off of me? I'd like to get up."

Roxas' eyes widened at that. He hadn't realized that he'd been on top of Axel the entire time. As soon as he did get off, Axel stood and summoned a pathway leading to somewhere.

"Don't just stand there," he said, looking back at Roxas when he didn't follow, "c'mon."

Roxas frowned, crossing his arms. "I don't trust you. What if you throw me off of another tower?" he asked.

"Don't worry, I'll only put your existence at risk once a day, I promise," Axel said, laughing lightly. "Now come on," he said, looking at Roxas expectantly.

"Why should I?" Roxas asked.

"Remember condition number two? Or should I forget about helping you?" Axel asked, walking toward the pathway. He grinned even though Roxas couldn't see it when the blonde groaned then complied.

Why was he making Roxas stay by his side? Part of it was to protect him from Vexen who, even though the blonde hadn't realized it, was outside his door at that very moment trying to decide of the room he was in front of was Roxas' or not. Axel had figured it out soon after they'd entered the blonde's room.

Another was- it was a part of his plan to obtain the blonde.

--

Roxas immediately noticed that they'd entered another room in Castle Oblivion when he'd reached the other side, frowning as his room disappeared from view. The two nobodies now seemed to be in another bedroom.

"Where are we?" Roxas asked, looking around. The room was filled with personal items in hues of dark, warm colors belonging to its owner and was dimly lit. Roxas, who usually preferred something more… cheerful, actually liked it.

"My room," Axel said, unzipping his jacket.

"Why are we here?" Roxas asked.

"Because like you probably are, I'm tired," Axel said, "I'm sure you can piece together the rest, thirteen. You're fairly intelligent."

Roxas scoffed at the red-head. "I am _not_ sleeping with you," he said as Axel took off his jacket.

"I hope you like the floor then," Axel said, taking off his shirt as well. He smirked at Roxas when the blonde stared for a moment after. Then Roxas, not liking how his face had heated up, looked away. He did his best not to look at Axel after that until he'd gotten into his bed and was halfway under the covers. The red-head smirked again when sapphire met his emerald. He fully expected Roxas to give in, but was surprised when the blonde glared at him instead then laid down on the floor.

He laughed a little at that but got no response from the stubborn blonde.

--

Roxas stayed on the floor that night and for the next two weeks as well, feeling himself stiffen and having pain build up in his lower back as he did each night. So far he and Axel had merely worked on his control and summoning ability over pathways through the darkness. Roxas was a pretty fast learner and was glad that he was because hopefully it meant that they'd be moving to something else soon.

The blonde was surprised when the red-head, who he'd thought had fallen asleep hours ago, called out to him.

"Rox-as," Axel called softly, "I know that you're down there, still awake, lying in discomfort."

"So?" Roxas said not thinking, then wanting to smack himself for admitting it.

"So, get your butt up here. It's beginning to effect how well you're doing." Axel said, peering over the edge of the bed at him.

"No," Roxas said, glaring at the pyro. He looked at Axel apprehensively when the red-head got out of bed then wide eyed when he sat on top of him.

"If you don't get up and into that bed then I'm going to lay on top of you for the rest of the night, adding to your discomfort and then you'll wish that you'd listened," he said, looking irritated. Roxas closed his eyes, trying not to look at Axel in his near nakedness. He didn't know what his own reaction would be if he did and that scared him a little. Fear, anger, nervousness, like, dislike… and something else that he didn't quite understand- he felt them all around the red-head and he didn't like it one bit.

And of course the red-head had to wear only boxers to bed; something that didn't help.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything," Axel said, softening and making the blonde open his eyes once more. Roxas looked as if he were thinking for a long moment then nodded, making Axel get off him. The blonde stood then, taking off his shoes, jacket and gloves, laid down on the bed, looking at the ceiling. He knew that Axel had joined him when the mattress shifted.

After a few minutes, the blonde chanced glancing at the red-head. Axel was lying on his side, facing away from him. The first thing that Roxas noticed after he'd looked at him, though, was that there was a huge bruise on his back. Without thinking, Roxas raised his hand to touch Axel's back.

He paused briefly, right before he was about to touch it, wondering if it would be as cold and clammy as his hands had been. When his fingers touched Axel's skin, he noticed right away, surprised, how abnormally warm it was just before he let his fingers lightly trace the large bruise.

Axel immediately responded, tensing, and before Roxas could get his hand out of the way, Axel had rolled over and was now lying on top of his arm.

"Yes?" Axel asked, staring into the blonde's eyes and loving how Roxas' cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

"Uhhm," Roxas said, adverting his gaze and unwisely looking at Axel's chest, blushing even more deeply when he did. He couldn't help but be attracted to the red-head. "Wh-why do you have a bruise on your back?" Roxas asked. He should've just kept looking at Axel's face rather than look away.

Axel shrugged. "It must be from when we hit the floor in your room," he said like it was no big deal. Roxas felt a little confused, wondering why he hadn't gotten hurt as well. Then he remembered- Axel had hit the floor while he'd landed on top of him.

"Did… did you purposely land on the floor so that I wouldn't get hurt?" Roxas asked, staring into Axel's emeralds. It must've been a damaging blow it the entire bruise was still there.

"What if I did?" the red-head asked.

"Then you're not as egotistical as I thought you were," Roxas said, making Axel laugh.

"Thanks kitten," Axel said lowly in Roxas' ear. Roxas, growing confused again because he was feeling when he shouldn't and not liking it, pressed his fingers against Axel's bruise hard, making him wince then hiss from the jolt of pain that shot up his spine.

"Stop touching me," Roxas whispered, surprisingly not harshly.

"Don't you remember who started it this time?" Axel asked, smirking. Roxas made a mental note not to do so in the future.

"Just get off," Roxas said, glaring at Axel and trying to pull away. His movements held the desperation that they had before, not matching the look of hate that he was giving off at all. It was something that Axel didn't fail to notice and he knew that he was starting to win Roxas over, though the blonde was trying to fight it. Perhaps he just needed some more persuasion.

"Don't worry I will," Axel said. "One more thing before I do though," the red-head added, placing a hand on Roxas' neck.

"What are you doi-?" was all Roxas managed to say before Axel locked their lips together. The blonde immediately writhed and kicked, trying to force Axel to get off but the red-head merely gripped Roxas' neck more tightly as a response. Roxas' jaw remained clamped shut, so he pulled away after a moment.

"You liar! You said that you wouldn't do anything, you sai-_mmph!"_ Was all Roxas managed to say before the red-head kissed him again. This time Axel'd slipped his warm, wet tongue inside Roxas' mouth, pressing him down against the bed so he couldn't struggle or even move.

Roxas trembled as that tongue began to explore his mouth once again, tantalizingly slowly at first as if memorizing it then much faster like the first time Axel'd kissed him. Roxas gasped, as Axel bit his lower lip, then he pulled away a little, lips just above the blonde's, letting him go and giving him his chance to escape if he wanted to. Roxas didn't really know what he wanted so he just laid there trying to sort out his thoughts as his confusion grew.

Axel, not having been rejected or yelled at, pressed this warm, soft lips to Roxas' once more, stealing his breath and making him forget everything as he delved in, meeting no resistance. He kept it up, making the blonde moan into his mouth just before he broke away.

Roxas looked up at Axel, panting. The red-head looked like he wanted to kiss him again so he raised his hand and pushed him back, looking to the side.

"What's wrong, Roxas?" Axel asked. "I know you want this, yet you're resisting. Why?"

"I… I'm feeling, but Xemnas said," Roxas started, stopping when Axel interrupted him.

"Xemnas, as you'll find, doesn't know what he's talking about half the time. Go ahead, ask around. At least half of the organization will agree," Axel said.

"I'm so… confused," Roxas muttered, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he turned his head, looking straight into Axel's emeralds. "So, you can feel too?" Roxas asked, "You're not just screwing with me and pretending to like me?"

"Of course I feel; remember how I was in pain?" Axel asked. "And of course I like you. I wouldn't be putting forth so much effort if I didn't. Question is; do you like me? Or do you just like it when I kiss you?"

Roxas sighed. He knew that he was attracted to Axel and he knew that some part of him, deep down, liked being kissed by the red-head. So, Axel was partially right. But did he like him only because of that? That was a good question.

Unfortunately, Roxas didn't know the answer just yet.

--

TBC

A/N: Well; there was chapter three. Did you like it?

I'm trying to update quickly. 's kinda hard though, especially since I'm working on more than just this. –siigh-

So, please, do forgive me if I'm slow.

Anyhoo; review? I'll love you for it.


	4. Chapter 4

Rating: **T**

A/N: I'm really really really sorry for being so slow ):

**Paradox:** Chapter 4

--

Roxas sighed, looking at anything except for Axel.

"I really don't know," the blonde said, sitting up and then getting off of the bed.

"Where are you going?" Axel asked, calling out to the blonde as he walked away from him.

"For a walk," Roxas said glancing back at the red-head just before summoning a pathway through the darkness, "alone," he added.

Axel's eyes widened at that but before he could even tell Roxas to wait, the blonde had slipped through the pathway and it had already closed.

The red-head cursed, immediately getting up and putting his clothes back on so that he could look for the blonde that had just vanished.

He knew that Vexen probably hadn't given up looking for Roxas yet and would love to find him right about now. Not for just a friendly hello, either.

--

Roxas went through the pathway in Axel's room, going outside through another onto a terrace. He paused to gaze up at the heart shaped moon, content, really, just with staying where he was.

It wasn't necessarily a walk that the blonde had wanted, no, just some space from the red-head for the first time in weeks so that he could clear his head. Axel confused him so much. He was feeling when he shouldn't, or was it that he could feel but wasn't supposed to? Who was telling the truth, Xemnas or Axel? And why would Xemnas lie to him? He had a pretty good guess as to why Axel would.

Roxas shook his head, and hoping to become less confused, looked out at the town that never was, absentmindedly thinking about it as he gripped the railing of the balcony he was on.

He was too distracted to notice that he wasn't alone.

--

Axel got dressed as quickly as he could, but still felt like he'd taken far too long, so, not wanting to waste any more time, he summoned a pathway to seek out organization's number six, knowing where the slate-haired boy would be. If Roxas was still in the castle and not in another world, then Zexion would know where he was.

The red-head entered Castle Oblivion's library, something he hadn't done for some time, immediately beginning his search for Zexion.

The pyromaniac sighed, growing agitated when he couldn't find the boy he was looking for- and he had been looking for quite a while. He was just about ready to leave and search the castle for Roxas, though it would be time consuming, when a voice stopped him.

"Hello number eight, can I help you with something?" Zexion asked, knowing that the red-head was there even without taking his eyes off of the text from the page of the book he was reading. Axel jumped, startled to hear a voice come from behind him. It always surprised him when Zexion did that- and not necessarily in a good way.

"Zexion, do you know where number thirteen is?" The red-head asked, stopping in front of the shorter boy.

Zexion nodded, turning the page he was on.

Axel waited a few moments, getting no response. "Well?" the red-head asked.

"You didn't ask if I'd _tell_ you where he was, now did you." the other replied a little coldly. Axel sighed.

"Will you _tell_ me where he is?" the red-head asked.

"Why should I?" Zexion asked. "You know full well that I don't like being used for this kind of thing," he said, frowning deeply.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but I'm worried about him, so please…" Axel started, getting cut off when the other nobody sighed.

Zexion raised a hand to his temple then closed his book and then his eyes, inhaling deeply. "Ever since he left you, he's been on the terrace, looking at Kingdom Hearts." He finally said. "I'd tell you to stay away from him, to give him a little space, but it seems that he's not alone," he added.

"Who's with him?" Axel asked.

--

"Who're you?" came a voice from behind the blonde. Roxas turned, seeing another blonde behind him.

"Number thirteen," Roxas said, eying the other blonde cautiously. He had the weirdest hair that the newest organization member had ever seen.

"I meant your name, silly," the other blonde said, smiling.

"I'll tell you when I trust you," Roxas said, frowning.

"Oh," the other nobody said, looking a bit disappointed when Roxas looked back up at the moon, halfway ignoring him. "Well," he said after a moment, smiling widely, "I'm Demyx, number nine." Roxas glanced back at the other blonde as he spoke. He tensed a bit when the other nobody came toward him, leaning against the railing as Roxas was, only his back was to the town that never was.

"Is there something that you want?" Roxas asked.

"Just to say hi for a moment, to meet you, and…," Demyx said, gripping the railing, "you're the 'key of destiny', aren't you?" he asked. Roxas nodded. "…Can I see your keyblade?"

"Why?" Roxas asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've always been curious as to what it looked like," Demyx said, smile returning. "So could I?" he asked, "Please?"

Roxas allowed a ghost of a smile to play across his lips just before holding out his hand and summoning Oblivion. The blonde handed it to Demyx who examined it excitedly.

"It looks just like a key," he said, sounding a bit surprised and making Roxas laugh.

"Yeah, with sharpened ends," he said, pointing them out, "That's why it's called a key_blade_." He smiled slightly when a look of comprehension came across Demyx's face.

"Your weapon's so cool, it can even unlock stuff," Demyx said sounding impressed and looking it over once more before giving it back.

"How did you know that it unlocks stuff?" Roxas asked.

"Just because I haven't seen a keyblade before doesn't mean that I haven't heard of it," Demyx said grinning. "I'm sure you've heard of chakrams before, haven't you?" he asked.

"Yeah," Roxas said,allowing the keyblade to vanish.

"Well, those're Axel's weapons," Demyx explained, "so it's kind of like that; you know about them but haven't seen them, I'm sure, just like I knew about your keyblade without seeing it." He smiled again when Roxas nodded in understanding.

Roxas was a bit surprised; he hadn't known that that was Axel's weapon. "Do you want to see my sitar since you showed me your keyblade?" Demyx asked.

"You have a sitar?" Roxas asked.

"Yeah," Demyx said, summoning it.

"Woah; what do you use it for? Is it your weapon?" Roxas asked, looking impressed when he saw it. He'd never gotten to see a sitar before.

"Yeah, it's my weapon," Demyx said, "I use it to control my power over water better and it makes my attacks more effective. I like to play it too," Demyx said, grinning just before presenting his sitar to Roxas. He let the shorter nobody play it until he had to leave.

"Sorry thirteen but I've got to get going," Demyx said after a few moments, pulling out a card of some kind, looking it over. "I have a mission in the Pride Lands to attend to," the blonde said, taking the sitar back and then summoning a pathway. Roxas tried to hide the fact that he felt a little disappointed. He actually liked being around Demyx.

"Demyx… before you go…," Roxas said, looking at the blonde, making him pause, "could you tell me something?" Roxas asked.

"Sure," Demyx said.

"Can you feel?" Roxas asked.

Demyx smiled again, this time Roxas noticed that it was forced. "I'm not supposed to tell you that, thirteen," Demyx said. Roxas looked out at the town that never was, knowing what the answer was because of how Demyx had responded and having more questions arise in his mind because of it.

"Demyx," Roxas called out to the blonde just before he entered the pathway he'd summoned, making him pause again, "thanks."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Demyx said, just in case anyone was listening to their conversation.

"Sure," Roxas said, glancing over his shoulder, back at the other blonde. "By the way, it's Roxas," Roxas said before facing the town again.

"What is?" Demyx asked.

"My name," Roxas replied, glancing back at the other blonde before smiling slightly.

"It was nice meeting you, Roxas," Demyx said, returning the smile and continuing to walk, "I hope we meet up again." Then he was gone, off to the Pride Lands.

Roxas gazed up at the heart shaped moon once again, a bit more confused. Why wasn't supposed to know that nobodies felt? What exactly was Xemnas' motive for lying to him? And since nobodies really did feel, that meant that Axel really did have feelings for him. How should he respond to that?

"Hello, Roxas," Came another voice from behind the blonde that made him go cold and instantly forget about his questions.

Roxas turned around, seeing a familiar face that was far too close to him for comfort. "Vexen," the blonde replied. He flinched when the older nobody gripped his wrist, turning him around in a swift motion, and his back was pressed against the railing.

"I've been looking for you, Roxas," the other blonde said, making Roxas freeze. Vexen had been looking for him..? Had Axel known that? "Imagine how delighted I was to see you talking to number nine," he continued, a smirk creeping across his face.

"Wh-what do you want?" Roxas asked. He really didn't like Vexen. He found him creepy beyond belief and didn't like what his not-so-hidden motives were.

"I think you know, thirteen," Vexen said, smirk widening as he forced Roxas' hands behind his back. Roxas cursed, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get away from Vexen even if he tried his hardest. His hands were behind his back, so summoning his weapon wouldn't do much good, he couldn't summon a pathway and go through without taking Vexen with him, and worst of all, he couldn't simply break free and run because Vexen was stronger. "You seem to have gotten soft, thirteen; what a shame," Vexen said. "I liked it better when you fought me."

The blonde glared at Vexen defiantly. He didn't want to fight since the other nobody seemed to like it, but didn't like how Vexen was getting closer to him either. When Vexen finally got way too close to him, invading his personal space, Roxas spat in the older nobody's face.

Vexen slapped Roxas across the face, enraged by the action, before wiping his own face off and then fisting Roxas' honey hair. Roxas winced as his hair was gripped and his head was forced back. "S-stop," the blonde said, starting to struggle then wincing as Vexen pulled his hair harder as a response.

"And if I don't?" The other nobody asked, grinning maliciously, really making Roxas regret leaving Axel.

"Then you're gonna have one hell of a nasty burn," came another voice. Both Roxas and Vexen glanced to the right, seeing a very angry looking pyromaniac.

Vexen glared at Axel, not planning on letting Roxas go in the slightest until the red-head made a circle of fire surround the three of them. "I guess we'll finish this another time then, Roxas," the oldest nobody said smirking and making the blonde's eyes widen just before he was shoved in Axel's general direction.

"Oh, no you won't," the red-head hissed. "Back off Vexen, he's mine, so don't touch. That is unless you want third degree burns all over your body, of course," the red-head promised.

"You wouldn't _dare_, do you have any idea what Xemnas would do to you?" Vexen asked.

"You seem to forget," Axel said, "I don't like to follow the rules. Now apologize to Roxas and promise to stay away from him," the red-head hissed.

Vexen laughed. That laugh was the creepiest thing Roxas had ever heard and gave him chills. "Like that will _ever_ happen," Vexen said.

"You sure about that, Vexen?"Axel asked, crossing his arms, "I don't have a problem with hurting you if you don't." The red-head frowned when Vexen laughed again.

"Yeah, right, you inflict damage on me? I could take you anytime, any-" Vexen started getting cut off when Axel punched him in the face, making the oldest nobody fall to the ground and his nose bleed.

"Consider that a warning," Axel said, cracking his knuckles, "now apologize." Glaring at Axel the entire time, Vexen held his nose then grudgingly did as he was told. "Good," the red-head said as he turned to Roxas. The blonde was staring at Axel, shocked that he'd actually just punched Vexen in the face. He snapped out of it though when Axel gripped his arm.

"Wha-?" Roxas started to question.

"You're coming with me so don't bother objecting," the red-head said, summoning a pathway and dragging Roxas with him through it.

--

Roxas wasn't very surprised when he and Axel ended up going back to the red-head's room, but he was surprised when the grip on his arm intensified.

"Axel, you're hurting me," the blonde said, trying to pull his arm away, "Let go." He froze when the red-head looked back at him, emeralds blazing.

"And if I do, are you going to run away again?" he asked harshly. "You are _very _lucky that I found you in time, Roxas," the red-head said, "Vexen wasn't going to stop." Roxas winced then looked down feeling a little… guilty. He was thankful that Axel had indeed found him in time. And now he knew; Axel was definitely serious about liking him. Otherwise he wouldn't have wasted his time looking for him.

"No, I won't. I just needed some space before," the blonde said- he also knew that he liked Axel back now, thanks to a combination of Demyx answering some of his questions and what the red-head had done for him. Roxas looked up at Axel when the red-head let him go. "Why are you so angry?" the blonde asked.

"Because you left, even though it went against my terms for helping you. And you worried me- I really thought that something bad was going to happen to you and I wouldn't find you in time," Axel said, before starting to walk away from the blonde and then take his clothes off again.

"Axel…" Roxas said, feeling even guiltier.

"Just go to bed, thirteen, it's very late," Axel said, climbing into bed and facing the wall as he lay down.

Roxas joined the red-head after a moment, lying next to him on the bed but instead of doing as he was told, he reached out and, avoiding the bruise on Axel's back, gripped the red-head's shoulder, shaking it gently.

"Yes?" Axel asked, not moving.

"Axel… Thank you for helping me," Roxas said, making Axel turn into his other side. Roxas looked into the red-head's beautiful emerald when he did.

"Sure," Axel said. The red-head looked at the blonde, questioningly when he raised a hand and started to run his fingers along his tattoos.

"You should be glad that I left," Roxas said, making Axel raise an eyebrow.

"And why is that?" he asked.

"Because," Roxas said smirking as he let his hand run down to the pyro's warm neck. "I met someone who answered some questions that I had. So, I've got an answer for you now," he continued, gripping the red-head's neck and pulling him toward him in a swift motion. Axel's eyes widened considerably when his lips met with the honey-haired blonde's.

"Who'd you talk to?" the red-head asked when Roxas pulled away.

"Demyx," the blonde replied. "Why?"

"Because, kitten," Axel said, grinning and pushing Roxas down, "I want to thank him later."

--

-TBC-

A/N: Methinks there's gonna be smut next time. –grins-

Sooo; did I do okay? You can always let me know how I did by sending me a lovely review. I'll love you for it.


	5. Chapter 5

Rating: **M**

A/N: So, I got asked a favour of sorts from Axelfangirl201- wondering if she could make a story similar to this one to get started off on writing ffn; I'm putting this in here, in case you didn't get my response. Yes, it's okay with me if you write something.. similar.. to this, but please do make it your own/ somehow different. And do _not_ copy dialogue and or exact plot/story line. It hurts to have your ideas stolen, and really does take time and effort to think up something.

Oh and hun, if you don't like boyboy action, Iunno if you wanna keep reading what I write =/.

As predicted: smut- revel in the Akuroku-ness

One last thing, and then I promise to stop digressing and to write; I dedicate this to Rosalie for her 'kinky' comment. –smiles- oh how I love inspiration.

--

Okay, I lied. One more thing that's relatively important: _**Notice:**_ the rating went _**up**_. So, _**if you **__**dislike**__** boyboy action, **__**leave**_.

If you didn't follow my advice and leave a flame, keep in mind that I'll be laughing at you for being that smrt and write you a not-so-lovely reply.

Everyone else, enjoy :'D

**Paradox:** Chapter 5

--

"Axel..?" the blonde questioned, blue oceans widening a bit as he was pressed into the mattress. It wasn't that the blonde hadn't expected this, but he was still a bit surprised. The red-head was definitely… aggressive.

"Rox-as," the red-head replied, smirking and making the blonde gasp when he bent down and ran his tongue slowly along Roxas' lips. Axel flashed a Cheshire grin just before locking his lips with the honey-haired blonde's, much like Roxas had done to him moments before. Roxas didn't resist and relaxing his jaw, allowed Axel to enter his mouth, something that the red-head didn't hesitate to do.

Axel parted Roxas' lips with his tongue with ease, running it slowly along the blonde's teeth just before parting them as well. Roxas tremored and worked his hands into Axel's fiery hair when the pyromaniac's tongue slowly traced his own. The red-head delved in deeper as a response to the blonde kissing him back, easily dominating.

Roxas felt weight press down on him just before the red-head pulled away, seeing that Axel had straddled him when he glanced down, surveying the scene. Breathing heavily and not minding in the slightest, he looked back up, locking his eyes with Axel's emerald.

Smirking, the blonde decided to continue and pulled the red-head down, crashing his lips into his own.

--

Demyx took a deep breath, biting his lower lip as was his habit when he was nervous. After a few moments, he summoned a pathway through the darkness and went through it. He'd finished his mission in the Pride Lands with ease- Xemnas never did seem to give him very challenging missions- so that wasn't the reason why he was nervous. What was the reason? And why didn't the blonde want to go through the other end of that pathway? Well-

"You're late," a certain slate haired boy that was still reading stated as he turned another page of his book the moment Demyx came through. The blonde froze, cursing silently when that voice spoke. He'd been really hoping to come into the castle library in an area that was not _directly_ in Zexion's line of vision- then at least he could've pretended to have been looking for him.

"H-hi, Zexion," the blonde said turning to face the other boy, seeing a frown set on his face, "I'm sorry I'm la-" he started.

"Why are you late, number nine?" Zexion interrupted, unnervingly calm, his visible eye locking with Demyx's aquamarine.

"I, uhm," Demyx said, blushing a bit, "I accidentally started a stampede…"

Zexion snickered, knowing that Demyx was probably the only organization member that was that klutzy. But it wasn't necessarily a bad thing- he'd always liked the blonde for that reason.

"Zeexiionn, don't laugh at mee," Demyx whined, coming up to the slate-haired boy and stopping in front of him.

Zexion sighed, shaking his head then stood. "I don't know, Dem," he said, "You always seem to be late- maybe I should call off tonight to teach you a lesson," starting to walk away. Zexion's eyes widened in surprise when the usually passive blonde gripped his arm as he started to pass and pushed him into a bookshelf.

"I said I was sorry," Demyx said, pouting, "You know that I'm a klutz.."

"One of these times, sorry isn't going to be good enough," Zexion stated.

"But-"Demyx said, stopping when Zexion smirked at him. Comprehending, a grin worked its way across the blonde's face just before he locked his lips with the slate-haired boy's. He pressed his lips harder against the shorter boy's until he opened his mouth.

Zexion dropped his book when Demyx deepened the kiss.

--

Axel gave the honey-haired blonde's mouth a thorough inspection then pulled his mouth from Roxas' and ran his tongue along the blonde's jaw line, and then down his neck. Roxas gripped the pyro's fiery locks more tightly as the red-head bit his neck, suckling harshly, making sure that he left a mark.

The blonde's eyes opened wide when the red-head started to unbutton his shirt, but before he could protest, Axel had reclaimed his mouth, his tongue dancing along the shorter boy's. The red-head didn't stop kissing Roxas, keeping their lips locked together even as he pulled him up, until he'd taken off his shirt and had pushed him back down.

Before Roxas could even think about what was happening, Axel had shifted and was working his way down his chest. "A-Axel.." Roxas breathed, trying to push the redhead away, "we're g-going too far." He froze, fingernails digging into the red-head's shoulders instead when Axel's tongue ran across and around one of his nipples. The blonde threw his head back, body convulsing when the red-head claimed it with his teeth, biting and sucking. When it was blushing red, he switched to the other, making the blonde moan and take in shallow breaths.

Axel smirked as he pulled away and claimed the honey-haired blonde's lips once more. He paused when the blonde scoffed at him.

"What?" the red-head asked.

"Look at what you did," Roxas said, glancing down.

"What? This?" The red-head asked, smirking widely as he palmed the blonde's erection, making him moan as he increased the pressure. Axel chuckled lightly. "I'm fully aware of that, kitten," he said, locking his lips with the blonde's as he started to work the button of Roxas' pants.

--

Zexion smirked down at his blonde.

Somewhere along the line, Demyx had been divested of his jacket and shirt, their positions had changed, and they'd worked their way down to the floor. Zexion, who had ended up on top of Demyx, had removed the blonde's belt, and was using it to bind the blonde's hands above his head and to the bench that was connected to the floor that he'd been sitting on earlier as punishment for being late yet again. Demyx wouldn't be able to sit up or touch him no matter how he tried.

The blonde gasped as the shorter boy ran his hands along his bare chest. Fingers ran across his nipples and the boy on top of him bent down, kissing him hard.

Demyx stared as Zexion sat up again and then tantalizingly slowly started to unzip his organization jacket. The slate haired boy hadn't bothered with wearing a shirt underneath and a smirk worked its way across his face as he equally slowly took of his jacket. He knew what it did to the blonde.

Then, he bent back down, claiming the blonde's neck and working his way down his chest, making sure to leave marks along the way. He loved the little noises that Demyx made when he did this to him- and it made him want the blonde all the more.

Demyx struggled violently against his bonds when Zexion latched onto one of his nipples with his teeth and a hand found its way past his pants line. "Zexio-_ahhaha_," Demyx started, moaning instead when the slate haired boy began to stroke him.

"Yes?" Zexion asked innocently as he firmly gripped the blonde's erection and started to move his hand up and down.

"I-I want t-to t-tou-ch you- _ah-ha_," the blonde choked out.

"Well then," the slate haired boy said, moving his hand faster, "you should've gotten here on time, now shouldn't've you?"

--

Vexen had finally gotten his nose to stop bleeding and was now sulking at the very terrace that the blonde that he wanted so badly had been on just hours ago. He was really hoping that he wouldn't have a bruise later.

The blonde tensed when he sensed a presence behind him. But before he could even turn around, a voice spoke-

"Heya, Vex, why so glum?"

"Hi, Marluxia," the blonde said before turning to face the pink-haired boy.

Vexen looked at the pink-haired organization member warily when he smirked. "It's Roxas isn't it?" he asked, smirk widening. "Let me guess, he rejected you, didn't he?" Marluxia asked. Vexen merely looked away. "You probably scared him away by being stalker-ish, so it's no one's fault but your own," he pointed out, annoying the blonde.

"Shut up Marluxia," the blonde snapped.

"Calm down, four," the other said calmly. After a moment, he smirked again. "Want me to take your mind off of him? Hmm?"

"What did you have in mind?" Vexen asked, staring into Marluxia's seas of blue.

--

"A-Axe-l s-stop," the blonde whimpered as Axel fondled him between the legs.

"Don't worry, thirteen," the red-head said, fingering the blonde's erection, "I'm only going to take care of this. I promise that I won't do anything else. Besides, it'll be painful for you if I don't." The blonde bit his lower lip for a long moment, thinking.

Realizing that the red-head was right, he nodded.

Roxas held his breath as Axel shifted then unzipped and then took off his pants. He heard a dull thud as they joined the rest of his clothes on the floor. After a moment, the red-head gripped the blonde's boxers and then slowly pulled them down. When he was fully exposed, Roxas shakily let out the breath he'd been holding.

Axel didn't seem to notice- or if he had, he didn't say anything. Instead he repositioned himself and, raised Roxas' legs, taking him into his mouth, fully accommodating him.

Roxas gasped, trembling when Axel began to suck. The blonde did his best to hold back a moan when the red-head slowly moved his head up, nearly leaving him completely, and then quickly back down. He wasn't successful when Axel, still sucking, bobbed his head up and down faster, letting that skilled tongue of his explore. Roxas moaned and shuddered as the red-head continued, red spikes bobbing up and down faster and faster.

Roxas knew that he'd be releasing soon and tried to push the red-head away again as well as warning the red-head but Axel didn't stop until he'd made the blonde come inside of his mouth.

The heat that had built up in the blonde's groin rushed to his face when he felt the red-head swallow.

--

"How is having tea with Luxord going to take my mind off of things?" Vexen whispered harshly as Marluxia knocked on the Gambler of Fate's door. Marluxia smirked.

"Obviously you don't know the man very well-"

"What do you mean I don't know him very well?" Vexen interrupted, "I've known him for longer than you have-"he stopped when Marluxia began to snicker.

"I didn't say I knew him for longer, just _better_. And obviously you don't know that when the man has his tea, the ratio of rum to tea is three to one."

"Marluxia, you know I don't like to dri-"Vexen started, stopping when the door to Luxord's room opened.

"Ahh, Marluxia, excellent timing," the blonde said smiling widely, "Come in, I just finished making tea; bring Vexen in too, and close the door won't you?" Marluxia nodded and, more than happy to comply, shoved Vexen inside.

Vexen shifted uncomfortably after being drug into the other blonde's room and the door had closed.

"Well, don't just stand there, sit," Luxord said, looking at Vexen expectantly. Vexen did as he was told, not wanting to get on Luxord's bad side, and glanced around the gambler's room. Perhaps Marluxia had been right; perhaps he didn't know Luxord as well as he thought he did. He hadn't ever even been inside the other blonde's room before. And perhaps the pink-haired nobody really did know Luxord better- they did seem to be good friends, after all.

Vexen half glared at Marluxia when the pink-haired nobody brought him a glass of tea that Luxord had prepared. Marluxia merely smiled as a response.

"Drink up," he said, grinning.

--

Roxas stared into the emeralds that were hovering above him once again, opening his mouth to say something, immediately forgetting what it was when Axel's lips met with his own in a soft, sweet kiss. Axel smirked when Roxas made a noise of protest as he pulled away. But, he decided to be good and to keep his promise, so he stopped. He didn't know how far they'd really go if he continued.

"So, kitten, you really do like me then?" The red-head asked, smirking. Roxas sighed, rolling his eyes at the nickname.

"I think that that's pretty obvious, don't you?" the blonde asked, smiling a bit and making Axel grin.

"Axel? How did you find me after I left?" Roxas asked after a moment.

"I have my resources," the red-head said, smirking again. "And don't worry, Vexen doesn't know about them," Axel said, noticing Roxas' bothered expression.

"Well that's good then," the blonde said, smiling up at the red-head and watching him lie down beside him. "Hey Axel?" he asked, continuing when he hummed, "Where are my boxers?" The red-head grinned, grabbing them then holding them above Roxas' head, pulling them out of his reach when he tried to take them.

"Axel… give them to me…" Roxas said warningly.

"Aww, but Roxie, I like you better this way," he said, grinning as Roxas scoffed at him. Axel pressed his lips to the blonde's, pulling him closer as he deepened the kiss and calming the blonde down a bit.

"Relax, Rox, I'm just kidding," he whispered then gave them back. Roxas didn't say anything, just sat up and put them back on. The red-head smiled slightly when he lay back down. Reaching up, Roxas began to trace the red-head's tattoos with his index finger, noticing right away that his skin was still as abnormally warm as usual.

"Axel, can I ask you something?" The blonde asked after a moment.

"Sure," the red-head said.

"Why do you like me so much?"

Axel laughed lightly. "Lots of reasons, but mainly for your personality- quite the firecracker you are." Roxas smiled slightly.

"What else?"

Emerald locked with expectant sapphire.

"Well… I'll put it this way," he said, looking as if he were thinking. "I have been on many missions and have seen countless worlds and wonders, but never before have I seen anything as beautiful as you," the red-head said, completely serious. The blonde stilled his hand, cheeks dusted a light shade of pink.

"N-no, you're the beautiful one, not me. " He said shaking his head.

"Oh but you are," the red-head whispered, brushing Roxas' bangs out of his eyes and biting then his lower lip for a moment.

"Kitten?" The red-head asked, making Roxas scoff.

"Stop calling me that," Roxas snapped.

The red-head smiled apologetically. "Roxas?" he asked.

"Yeah?" the blonde asked, a bit surprised. Axel had never been so… serious when saying his name before.

"Will you be mine like I told Vexen you were?" the red-head asked.

Roxas frowned. "If I say yes, don't think that you can go any farther than you did tonight or do what you did whenever you want," he said.

"Fair enough," Axel said, grinning, "So is that a yes then?"

A small smile crept across the blonde's face. "Sure."

--

After some hesitation, Vexen had indeed drunken his tea, right away noticing that the ratio of rum to tea was more like five to one than three to one. Not wanting to offend Luxord though, he drank it as well as the many refills that his host gave him.

The tea seemed to do the trick though- Vexen finally loosened up, forgetting Roxas, and having a good time with the other two until Xemnas came, taking Marluxia with him because he needed to send him and Saix on a joint mission. Vexen watched them leave, wondering if he should go too until Luxord spoke.

"Vexen, love," the other said, hiccupping slightly. He'd had a lot to drink.

"Y-yeah?" Vexen asked, starting slightly because of how close Luxord had gotten to him when he'd been distracted.

"I need to tell you something," the other nobody said. His usually icy gaze had softened, the other blonde noted and his cheeks were flushed slightly because of the alcohol he'd consumed.

"What is it?" Vexen asked, curious. Luxord gazed at him, eyes half lidded.

"I like you," he said, finally.

"I like you too," Vexen said smiling. He'd always wondered if the other nobody had disliked him. Now he knew that he didn't- and was glad. "So, I'm glad that we can be friends," Vexen said, standing, "Now I should get going… thanks for the tea-"he froze, staring when the other nobody gripped his arms.

"_No,_" Luxord said a bit forcefully. Vexen blinked.

"No, what?"

"Not like that," the other whispered, cheeks turning a shade darker.

"Luxor-?" Vexen started to question, getting cut off, eyes going wide, when the other blonde locked their lips together. Luxord pressed against Vexen, putting more weight against the other nobody and pressing his lips harder against Vexen's until he opened his mouth. Vexen's eyes fluttered shut as something wet and warm began to explore his mouth.

Luxord tasted like… alcohol.

Vexen began to shake because of the added weight pressing against him and the alcohol in his own system already. Soon, he found himself falling backward. Luxord landed on top of him as he hit the floor.

Vexen looked up, jade locking with icy blue and panting.

"Now you know," Luxord whispered, just before passing out on top of Vexen. The upcoming confession had driven him to drink much more than usual, so for once, he couldn't handle his liquor.

Vexen blinked, letting what Luxord had said and done sink in, way past shocked. After a moment, when it had, he attempted to push the other blonde off but soon found that he couldn't.

Luxord was heavy and he was too weak from drinking. He never had liked alcohol because he had a low tolerance.

--

"Zexi-_aahh_, p-please, stop-p-playing with me, and t-take me," Demyx pleaded.

Zexion ran his tongue along the nipple that his teeth had been laying claim to mere seconds ago then locked his eyes with his love's. A rare smile crept across his face just before he captured the blonde's lips. He broke away, chuckling slightly when Demyx whined and tried to get free of his bonds again.

Smirking, Zexion repositioned himself and raised Demyx's bare legs. He'd already taken the liberty of removing the rest of the blonde's clothes.

Demyx watched, anticipatory, as the slate haired boy stuck his fingers into his mouth. When they were fully coated he took them, dripping, out of his mouth and slipped two inside the blonde without so much as a warning. Just like Demyx liked.

The blonde moaned loudly and dug his fingernails into his palms when Zexion thrusted his fingers in and out, hitting his spot each time. He knew where it was from previous instances.

The slate-haired boy only slowed his thrusts when he slipped in another finger. He waited a moment then thrusted them in and out with even more speed, making Demyx shudder and moan even more. When he felt that Demyx had been prepared well enough, Zexion pulled out his fingers and unfastened his pants, taking of the rest of his clothes as well.

He repositioned himself as Demyx tried to catch his breath, remotely glad that everyone else in the organization tended to avoid the library like a plague.

"Z-Zexion wait," Demyx said, making the slate-haired boy falter. "Please… untie me, _please_," he pleaded. He really hated to see someone he cared so much about beg like that but…

"I'm teaching you a lesson, remember?" Zexion asked, raising the blonde a little higher.

"But Zexio-" the blonde started, stopping, trembling and throwing his head back when something hot and hard entered his body. Zexion didn't wait, pulling out almost completely and then slamming into the blonde forcefully. _"Ah-haa, yesssss,"_ the blonde moaned, eyes closing as he continued cueing that Zexion should thrust faster. Thrust faster he did, and as a response, he got loud strung moans showing Demyx's approval and a heated gaze from the blonde. Zexion moaned himself when the blonde wrapped his legs around his waist and started to move his hips as well.

When he felt himself coming close to releasing, Zexion pressed his lips to Demyx's and rammed into the blonde harder, earning muffled noises of approval, until he'd filled his blonde with his essence. Slowly he pulled out, hearing Demyx gasp. After he had, he ran a finger along the length of Demyx's unattended erection, making him shudder. He hadn't let the blonde come yet- he hadn't wanted to make a mess in the library, after all.

Zexion gripped Demyx's hips then, after repositioning himself, lowered himself. He smirked at Demyx's weeping erection, practically begging for release and decided to oblige it.

"Would you like to come? Hmm?" The slate-haired boy asked.

"Y-yes," the blonde whimpered. Zexion's smirk widened just before his tongue darted out, and licked off the other boy's pre-cum. He felt the other boy tremble when he continued to let his tongue explore but took Demyx's erection into his mouth when the other nobody whimpered again. He didn't want to make him suffer… too much.

He made the blonde moan his name when he started to suck and bob his head up and down with increasing speed. The slate-haired boy heard the blonde cry out his name, knowing that he'd be coming soon so he continued, moving his tongue as well as sucking and bobbing his head to help him come faster. He felt the blonde shudder just before he came. The slate haired boy swallowed the substance that had filled his mouth eagerly then slowly pulled away from Demyx's spent erection.

"Z-Zexion," Demyx breathed. His cheeks were a beautiful shade of rose. The slate haired boy smirked at the blonde, sitting up and then locking their lips together. He pulled away after a moment when Demyx struggled against his bindings once again.

"Would you like me to untie you?" Zexion asked, brushing his nose against Demyx's.

"Yes," the blonde replied. Zexion complied, reaching up and unfastening the belt's clasp. Once Demyx was freed, the shorter nobody reached for his jacket, pulling it on and starting to zip it up but stopped when Demyx gripped his shoulders.

Zexion's blue oceans met with the blonde's aquamarine for an instant, then the blonde locked their lips together, returning Zexion's kiss. The slate haired boy was unaware that he was even moving until his back hit the floor. Demyx gripped his hands, holding him in place so he couldn't move as he deepened the kiss. When he pulled away, Zexion frowned up at him.

"Demyx, you know I don't like playing uke," he stated.

"Will you for me?" The blonde asked, a smile playing across his lips. "I'll be on time next time if you do."

Zexion snorted. "You'd better be here on time next time anyway or I won't touch you for a month." He looked up into the blonde's face, seeing a firm pout set across it and sighed.

"Fine."

He heard a small noise of excitement come from the blonde just before their lips were pressed together once again.

--

-To be continued-

A/N: Phew done :'D

Tis a bit longer than the others, methinks o.o;. I wasn't planning on writing a lemon but well… Rosalie requested it. So if you liked it well; you can thank her, I s'pose.

Anyhoo; did you like it? Would you like to see more of the other pairings? Or just Akuroku? Review to let me know? It may just influence what's coming and how quickly I post.

Oh and, Samaloo, the Vexord's for you (:

Until next time, I suppose.

-This is the last time I'll abandon you and this is the last time I'll forget you. I wish I could.-

(Muse inspires me so much)


End file.
